Ever notice that a pair of wet hands will send one of them to mozzie heaven much faster than a pair of dry hands?

The traditional method is to have a bunch of water filled bowls with lotus plants and mosquito eating fish in the garden. (and NO other standing water)

Unfortunately many [urban] thais are forgetting about the traditional mosquito control methods in favour of pesticides...

I have seen the fish method in action...seems to do a decent job, and fun to watch !

I wonder how many rai of rice paddy I would have to clear around my house if I adopted this strategy

None, if they are farmed without too much pesticides. Then you'll have fish in them whenever there is water.

How right you are, they are full of fish, frogs, crabs and snakes...

Lemon grass planted around the house is supposed to work. I had them all round a place i lived in once. They are also supposed to keep snakes, centipedes and other nastys away. God knows how many snakes, centipedes and scorpions i would have had to remove if i hadn't of had the lemon grass there. As it was, one of each a day was the most i saw in the bedroom! The 3 snakes living in the bathroom came in through the roof, sneaky buggers eh. So that proves the Lemon grass works as the only place i didn't have it was the roof!

Lemon grass planted around the house is supposed to work. I had them all round a place i lived in once. They are also supposed to keep snakes, centipedes and other nastys away. God knows how many snakes, centipedes and scorpions i would have had to remove if i hadn't of had the lemon grass there. As it was, one of each a day was the most i saw in the bedroom! The 3 snakes living in the bathroom came in through the roof, sneaky buggers eh. So that proves the Lemon grass works as the only place i didn't have it was the roof!

เสลดพังพอน (Barleria Lupulina) is also supposed to keep snakes away. Has nothing to do with mosquitos though, but since you mentioned snakes...

It's a bit off topic... way off topic in fact, but.

Most dogs don't like lemon grass either, boil some in water and spray it on your outside furniture.... no more scratching and chewing problems.